Be a part of the celebration and commemorate the Grand National Curling Club’s 150th anniversary with memorabilia created exclusively for the sesquicentennial of the GNCC.

The NEW GNCC Tartan is being produced in honor of 150 years of curling. An original fabric produced exclusively for the GNCC in England by Martin Mills.

Choose from bow ties, traditional ties, tams, pocket squares, brush covers, sashes, flashes, and custom crafted traditional and sport kilts! Fabric by the yard is also available for purchase after January 15, 2017. Custom kilts and fabric may be ordered from USA Kilts.

More Grand National 150 Commemorative memorabilia include: Commemorative Corn Broom — “The Bell 150” Hand made and replicated from a corn broom used in 1867, the year when Scotsman David Bell, a GNCC founder, was elected the first president of the GNCC in New York City, NY. This decorative item is a nostalgic reminder of the spirit of curling in America, and can be ordered from BroomsUp Curling Supplies.

The History of the GNCC Tartan The Grand National Curling Club’s tartan is inspired by the family tartan of Robert Gordon. Gordon was elected the first patron of the GNCC from 1867–1884. He was originally a Dumfries man, but became an influential figure in New York City as one of the incorporators of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, President of the Down Town Association, President of the St. Andrew’s Society, and a partner of the financial house of Maitland Phelps and Company.

On January 13, 1869, he presented “The Gordon Champion Rink Medal to the curlers of the United States… to be played annually as shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.” Except for 1874, 1887, 1889 (thaw), 1890, and 1943 (war), the medal has been in competition every year since.

The large, beautifully crafted, silver medal includes a bar for each year played upon which the winner’s name is engraved. Today, the string of bars is so long that is stretches halfway across a good size room. The medal is played for as the Men’s Championship of the Grand National Clubs.

The tartan was design by the Grand National 150 Celebration committee, chaired by Joel B. Leneker of the Nutmeg Curling Club, Bridgeport, CT and Charles Brown, Schenectady Curling Club, Schenectady, NY with guidance from Rocky Roeger, President of USA Kilts, Spring City, PA.

The colors of the tartan are scarlet red, ice white, forest green, navy blue, and medium blue and represent: Scarlet red: the Roar of the Rocks Ice white: the brightness of the ice Forest green: the Grand National organization Navy blue: excellence in competition Medium blue: life- long curling friendships.

The GNCC Tartan will be registered with the Scottish Tartan Authority, Edinburgh, Scotland.

For more information about Grand National 150 memorabilia and to order contact Joel Leneker at JLeneker@aol.com

Show us how your club is celebrating the Grand National 150th anniversary throughout the year with your pictures and YouTube videos or other social media links by posting them here. Contact Dion Warr, GNCC web master, for more information.

The GNCC on TVLook for “The Grand National Curling Club, a History of Firsts” streaming banners during the 2017 Curling Night in America television coverage. The banners will feature GNCC member and athlete interviews, images and history of the Silver Bell Quoits, Gordon and Gordon International medals along with influential patrons who have helped grow the sport of curling.

Curling Night in America 2017NBCSN begins its “Curling Night In America” episodes on Thursday, January 19, with nine shows, for a total of 18 hours of coverage from the U.S. Curling Grand Prix.

The made-for-TV international curling event, which debuted in 2014, will feature three American teams taking on China, Japan and Scotland in men’s, women’s and mixed doubles competition, which will take place Dec. 1-3 at the Duluth Curling Club in Duluth, Minn.

The U.S. will be represented by John Shuster (Duluth, Minn.), Tyler George (Duluth, Minn.), Matt Hamilton (McFarland, Wis.), and John Landsteiner (Duluth, Minn.) on the men’s side. The women’s team will feature Nina Roth (McFarland, Wis.), Tabitha Peterson (St. Paul, Minn.), Aileen Geving (Duluth, Minn.), Becca Hamilton (McFarland, Wis.), and Cory Christensen (Duluth, Minn.). The mixed doubles team for the U.S. will be Peterson and Joe Polo (Duluth, Minn.), the duo that won bronze at the 2016 World Mixed Doubles Championship.

2017 Curling Night in America on NBCSN schedule (East Coast time, air times subject to change) is as follows:

Thursday, January 19th

8:00pm

Friday, January 27th

8:00pm

Friday, February 3rd

10:00pm

Friday, February 10th

11:30pm

Friday, February 17th

10:00pm

Friday, February 24th

8:00pm

Thursday, March 2nd

10:30pm

Saturday, March 11th

7:00pm

Friday, March 17th

7:00pm

The programming is being supported in part from grants and sponsorships from the World Curling Federation, the United States Olympic Committee, CryoMAX 8-Hour Cold Pack, and Sammy’s Pizza of Duluth.

The Grand National Curling Club has a long history of publishing yearly history annuals since it’s founding on June 26, 1867. The annuals intent have been to include important historical facts having to do with the organization; together with a compilation of winners of GNCC competitions.

As part of the Grand National 150 celebration, the GNCC will publish the “Grand National 150—A Curling Celebration” history book. This publication will document the history of the GNCC and each of its curling clubs, and will be available for purchase at the GNCC 2017 Annual Meeting, which will be held in Nashua, NH, in May.

For more information about the GNCC history book, please contact Gwen Krailo at gwenk@nashuafoundries.com.

An excerpt from the Grand National Curling Club of America 100th Anniversary Annual, Volume XXXVIII is as follows:

Date line: June 26, 1867118 Sullivan Street, New York City:United States Branch of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club and the Grand National Curling Club are established.

The story of firsts of the Grand National begins at the turn of the eEighteenth century from the late 1790’s to the 1830’s.

During this period, there was a great influx of Scottish stonecutters, masons, and artisans to the U.S.A., which at the time, consisted in large part of the Eastern Atlantic seacoast. It is well known that wherever there are lowland Scots and ice, curling soon breaks out.

The first club to be documented in this country was at Orchard Lake, Michigan, in 1832. The story is told of a group of Scottish immigrant farmers and sheepmen headed for Chicago by boat who became wrecked on the shores of Lake Saint Clair.

In foraging the countryside for survival, they came upon Orchard Lake, liked the country and soil, and established themselves. The first match of record played upon Orchard Lake was with hickory blocks fitted with makeshift handles. Also, it established that the New England Curling Club of Boston came into existence sometime before 1839.

During this time, small groups of curlers were meeting informally for games in Philadelphia and north to New York and Boston, Immediately following the Civil War, a solid movement started for the organization of various curling clubs into a national organization to promote the game, establish rules, and improve the competition opportunities. The result was a meeting of delegates at the Caledonian Club rooms in New York City, No 118, Sullivan Street, on June 26, 1867.

The list of delegates for their respective clubs included: Caledonian, NY; New York Club, NY, Thistle Club, NY; Paterson Club, NJ, Caledonian Club, Buffalo, and the Burns Club, Ohio. Through a committee of club representatives it was resolved: To proceed to the formation of a national curling club, and that this convention take the necessary steps to form a branch club, to be know as the United States Branch of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.

On a motion by Mr. James Brand, Caledonian, New York, the new club was called the “Grand National Curling Club of America,” the first national curling organization in America.

David Bell, Caledonian Club Buffalo, NY elected as the first GNCC President.

June 1868: The first Bell Silver Quoit Medal contested David Bell, Buffalo, NY, the first Grand National President donates The Bell Silver Quoit Medal. This was the first trophy given for annual play—for competition at the fall GNCC general meeting—and for the ancient Scottish game of “Quoiting.” In this game, the "motts" (stakes are placed 18 yards apart and the top of the mott must be level with the ground. The quoit is circular, approximately eight inches in diameter and weighs six or eight pounds. It is quite a trick to toss the quoits 18 yards, and get them close to the mott— and 17 ends provides a lot of exercise. This competition is has been contested each year since 1868 and is now part of every GNCC spring meeting.

July 1, 1868 The Grand National Curling Club now has 12 dues-paying members from all over the country, including: New York Caledonian, New York City; Caledonian, Buffalo, NY; Burns, Cleveland, Ohio; Burns Ogdensburg, NY; New York Curling Club, New York City; Chicago, Chicago, Ill.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Orchard Lake, Orchard, Lake, Michigan; St. Andrews Curling Club, New york City; Jersey City, Jersey City, NJ; New England, Boston, MA; and Paterson, Paterson, NJ.

In addition, three clubs froorm Canada became members—St. Lawrence Curling Club in 1869, Four Brothers Curling Club in 1870, and Dufferin Curling Club in 1877.

The Grand National Curling Club (GNCC) introduces the Curl Up With a Partner program, a community curling campaign, in conjunction with a grant from the United States Curling Association (USCA).

Each member club is being asked to partner with a local community organization or charity to host a one-day curling activity in celebration of the GNCC’s 150th anniversary. The activity could be a mini bonspiel, golf and curl, wheelchair curling, learn to curl, glow in the dark curling, potluck dinner curling, or bring the USCA’s Curling in the Gym program* to your local school.

The event can be as simple or as elaborate as you want, but most important is that you share the sport of curling with others.

We encourage clubs in close proximity to work together on an event and to include more than one community organization.

We have cash for curling!

Simply fill out the one page Curl Up With a Partner application, list the community organization(s) or charities with which you’ll partner, and we’ll help with the financing. You make the event happen and we’ll send you cash.

Some financial support ideas include: The cost of lunch; custom cupcakes or event desserts; instructor’s fees; event ice time costs; or participant transportation.

In return, all we ask is that during your event you let participants know what the GNCC is all about and that we are celebrating our 150th birthday. Advertise your partnership event activities on the GNCC website and social media (GNCC Facebook page and #GNCC150). Shoot a short video on a smart phone, or take some pictures and send them to the GNCC webmaster for posting.

Please don’t forget to say thank you to your national organization, the USCA, for partnering with the GNCC in funding Curl Up with a Partner and the up coming 150th Celebration Curling Clinics series.

Share the sport of curling with your community and celebrate the Grand National 150. Organize your community event today!

To learn more about the Grand National 150 Curl Up With a Partner program please contact Joel Leneker at JLeneker@aol.com.

*To learn more about the USCA’s Curling in the Gym Program please visit the USCA website.

The Grand National Curling Club was founded on June 26, 1867, at an organizational meeting held at 118 Sullivan Street, New York City, NY in the Caledonian Club rooms.

The list of delegates for their respective clubs included: Caledonian, NY; New York Club, NY, Thistle Club, NY; Paterson Club, NJ, Caledonian Club, Buffalo, and the Burns Club, Ohio. Through a committee of club representatives it was resolved:

“To proceed to the formation of a national curling club, and that this convention take the necessary steps to form a branch club, to be known as the United States Branch of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.”

On a motion by Mr. James Brand, Caledonian, New York, the new club was called the “Grand National Curling Club of America,” the first national curling organization in America.

David Bell, Caledonian Club Buffalo, NY was elected the first GNCC president.

The Border Rink, 1867, Buffalo, NY.From left to right: William Brown, J.A.B. Campbell, David Bell, GNCC President, and George Macnoe, GNCC SecretaryPhoto courtesy Buffalo and Erie County Historical society

Plans are underway to celebrate this moment, with more information to follow.

If you are interested in volunteering to help with this event, please contact Joel Leneker at JLeneker@aol.com or Charlie Brown at cbrown@hjadvisors.com.